As they rode, quiet settled between them. The undisturbed calm of the morning made it easier not to speak. But every time he looked toward Faith, the lines pressing her brow showed her mind was already churning.
What concerns muddled her thoughts so early in the morning? If there was anything he could do to ease her mind, he would. That would take his mind off the need to make a firm decision about leaving her.
As their path left the water’s edge and wove through the pines, their horses were able to walk side by side. He took the chance to speak. “What do you think about Steps Right’s situation?” He slid a glance toward her before focusing again on the trail. Hopefully a deer would wander from the trees, and he had to be ready.
Faith took a moment before responding, and when she did, her voice carried the same tension she wore on her face. “I’m worried.” She paused, but then continued. “If we take Steps Right back to my sisters’ ranch, will she be safe there, or will she bring the danger with her? Will White Horse go find Flies Ahead and end the threat once and for all? White Horse is a strong warrior, but against an entire village...?”
His question had released a dam. Like water tumbling over the falls, her words spewed out one after the other. “How will we manage the ranch without him? He’s a partner, after all. And he accomplishes nearly as much work asthe rest of us combined. Maybe we could handle things for a while, but when Juniper and Lorelei have their babies, I’m not sure Rosie, Riley, and I can do the training and everything else required.”
Her voice dropped even lower. “And Steps Right’s ankle ... is it only a sprain? How long will it take to mend? Is it only rest she needs, or something else? Could it be broken? If so, should we splint it before we start back to the ranch?”
The turmoil in her expression made his chest ache. He reined his horse closer to hers, reaching out to take her hand.
She lifted her brows at him, but then gave an effort toward a smile as she clasped his hand. That was Faith—smiling no matter how hard her struggle.
He gave a gentle squeeze. “We’ll figure things out. Give it a little more time.”
They found no deer after a half hour, so he turned them back toward the falls. Yet by the time they rode the horses up the slope to the grassy area at the top of the falls where White Horse’s animal was tied, Grant couldn’t bring himself to return to the darkness.
They tied their geldings to graze, then he pulled his rifle from the saddle and turned to walk to the river’s edge. The water flowed faster here, rushing to cascade over the falls. The wind ruffled his hair, easing the unrest in his spirit.
Beyond the river, the mountains rose in rocky peaks, a few of the taller ones still spotted with snow in some of their crags. Before coming west, he’d never imagined a land could hold this much beauty, such a richness that captivated him.
“Do you want to walk upriver with me?” Faith’s voicebroke through his thoughts. The sound of it soothed him even more, yet her nearness tightened something in his middle.
She was such a beautiful woman, even after days on the trail. But it wasn’t just her beauty that had become harder to resist with each passing day. She was so strong. So courageous. She made him want to be the same.
Made him want to open himself to love again. To risk the chance of loss and pain, for the possibility that they mightnotface those burdens. At least not for a long time. That they could experience joy and contentment.
But that was still the problem. When you loved someone, eventually that person would be wrenched away from you. Either now or when you were both gray and wrinkled—or any moment in between.
He couldn’t stand another stripping away of everything he loved most.
He shook his head to dispel the thoughts. He couldn’t let himself touch her. Especially if they were parting ways tomorrow. He had to keep his distance, had to keep his feelings in check.
She was still waiting for his answer, so he turned and started a slow walk upstream. She fell into step beside him. Thankfully, she left enough space between them their arms wouldn’t accidentally brush. Still, his mind whirled with her nearness.
After a minute, Faith spoke. “What’s your favorite memory with Will, besides when you two would look at stars?”
He slid a glance at her. That was a harder question than she might think. He had to think back, way back, to a different life. When he still had people who lovedhim. When the weight of the world hadn’t yet settled on his shoulders.
A memory surfaced, a glimpse of a time he’d long ago forced from his thoughts. Bringing it back now felt like glass scraping his skin. But he forced himself. For Faith.
“We used to sneak into a neighbor’s field, Will and me.” He cleared his throat. “We would pretend to be wild horses, galloping around. I was always the lead stallion, and Will was my loyal follower. Sometimes we raced. I was faster, of course, since I was older. But when Will got frustrated, I let him win instead. We spent hours out there, running and laughing until our sides hurt.”
He could almost feel the Missouri grass beneath his feet, could almost hear Will’s laughter echoing in his ears. For a moment, he was back in that field, a young boy with dreams as big as the sky, with a brother who was his best friend and partner in any adventure.
For a moment, he was home.
Faith’s eyes took on a gentle smile. “Lorelei and I used to pretend we were catching wild horses. She would doctor all their injuries, give them names, and care for them.” She slid a look at him. “But I always imagined they were trying to run away from the ranch. I would have to ride after them and bring them back.”
The mischievous gleam in her eyes made her so beautiful, he could barely stand the pain in his chest. What a picture she must have been as a girl, her hair flying in the wind while she chased imaginary horses, her laughter echoing through the fields.
They walked in silence another minute, and he worked to pull himself from the spell of that image. Back to thepresent, with the river flowing over rocks beside them, a woman at his side who understood him like no one else ever had, not even Gloria.
Sometimes it seemed Faith saw the parts of him he did his best to hide. But the biggest wonder was that his weaknesses didn’t push her away. Instead, she pressed in harder.
That felt like a miracle ... if a person believed there was a God who cared.
